Unionist leaders need to do just that - lead - Kelly.

Commenting
after the UUP rejected the Haass Proposals and the DUP failed to take a
decisive decision on them Sinn Féin Negotiator Gerry Kelly said that the
people deserve much better political leadership than being given by the
unionist parties.

Mr
Kelly said:

“Last
week Richard Haass was very clear in what he required of the parties. He asked
the respective negotiating teams to take his document as a whole and recommend
it to their respective party leaderships as the basis for solving these
outstanding issues.

“Since
then neither unionist party leader has been willing to commit to recommending
the Haass document. This despite the fact that Mike Nesbitt was claiming during
the talks that 80 or 90 percent of the issues had been addressed. More
tellingly in the plenary after Richard Haass had sent his final document Mr
Nesbitt claimed that he was prepared to recommend the package as it stood to
his party.

“Since
then his position has completely changed. Now he is claiming the Haass
proposals are ‘neither viable nor acceptable’. What has changed Mr Nesbitts
position in just over a week? That is a question he needs to answer.

“The
DUP have not even called a full meeting of their party Executive to discuss the
Haass proposals let alone a recommendation from either the party leader or the
negotiating team to accept them.

“Both
parties were quick to dismiss the allegation that they are being led by the
nose by the Orange Order and extreme loyalism. Yet it is difficult to come to
any other conclusion as events unfold.

“This process like every other
negotiation requires political leadership and political courage. Negotiated
documents are by their nature compromises. Unionist leaders are failing the
test of political leadership and ignoring the vast majority of people here who
want to see agreement and want to see politicians making deals and honouring
them.”